Tanks and armed soldiers seen heading towards Zimbabwe

A military convoy has been seen heading towards the capital of Zimbabwe, less than a day after the head of the military said he could ‘step in’ to end President Mugabe’s ‘purge’ of opponents.

Mugabe plunged the country into crisis last week by sacking vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, widely seen as a power move to make way for his wife Grace to succeed him.

Yesterday, the head of the armed forces Constantino Chiwenga, openly threatened to intervene in politics if Mugabe did not stop removing veterans from government.

But this afternoon, Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party said it would never succumb to military pressure and described the statement by the armed forces chief as ‘treasonable conduct’.

In the statement, ZANU-PF said it stood by the ‘primacy of politics over the gun’ and accused Chiwenga of trying to disturb the peace and stability of the impoverished southern African nation.

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Coup? A number of tanks were seen heading for the Zimbabwean capital of Harare on Tuesday, a day after the head of the armed forces threatened to intervene

Today, a convoy of military vehicles, including tanks were seen moving towards Harare.

‘I saw a long convoy of military vehicles, including tanks, about an hour ago. I don’t know where they were heading,’ a female fruit seller near Westgate shopping centre, about six miles from central Harare, told AFP.

In addition, two tanks were seen parked beside the main road from Harare to Chinhoyi, 14 miles from the city, pointing in the direction of the capital.

Despite the reports of the tanks, Zimbabwe’s ruling party Zanu PF took to Twitter to deny rumours of a coup.

‘Thanks for your concerns, there is NO coup happening in Zimbabwe. Please continue with your lives and face up to your own problems.’

Armed forces: A Reuters witness saw four tanks heading to Harare and two other tanks parked beside the main road from Harare to Chinhoyi, about 14 miles from the city

Military on the move: Yesterday, the head of the armed forces Constantino Chiwenga, openly threatened to intervene in politics if Mugabe did not stop removing veterans from government

Earlier on Tuesday the youth wing of Zimbabwe’s ruling party accused Zimbabwe Army chief Chiwenga of subverting the constitution for threatening military intervention.

The world’s oldest dictator: How Mugabe took power in 1980 after leading the fight against British rule

Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, in Kutama, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

In 1963, he founded ZANU, a resistance movement against British colonial rule.

In 1974, Prime Minister Ian Smith, who claimed he would achieve true majority rule but still declared his allegiance to the British colonial government, allowed Mugabe to leave prison and go to a conference in Lusaka, Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia).

Mugabe instead escaped back across the border to Southern Rhodesia, assembling a troop of Rhodesian guerilla trainees along the way.

The battles raged on throughout the 1970s and by 1980, when British rule ended, Mugabe became prime minister of the new Republic of Zimbabwe.

In 1987, he was elected president of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe shared power with Morgan Tsvangirai from 2008 to 2013, but resumed control afterward.

At 92, he is now seeking re-election to make him the world’s oldest dictator.

Now-sacked vice-president Mnangagwa, 75, a veteran of Zimbabwe’s 1970s liberation wars, had been viewed as a likely successor to Mugabe before the president fired him on November 6.

His downfall appeared to pave the way for Mugabe’s wife Grace to succeed the 93-year-old president.

In an unprecedented response to the sacking of Mnangagwa, Chiwenga openly threatened to intervene in politics on Monday if the purge of war veterans did not stop.

He appeared to allude to Mrs Mugabe when he said: ‘We must remind those behind the current treacherous shenanigans that, when it comes to matters of protecting our revolution, the military will not hesitate to step in,’ Chiwenga said in a statement at a news conference packed with top brass on Monday.

Grace Mugabe, 52, has developed a strong following in the powerful youth wing of the ruling Zanu PF party, and they have endorsed her to replace Mr Mnangagwa, though no announcement has yet been made.

Her rise has brought her into conflict with the independence-era war veterans, who have increasingly been banished from senior government and party roles in recent years.

Mugabe, who is nearly 94 years old, is the only leader Zimbabwe has known in 37 years of independence: first as the chair of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANY), then as leader of the ZANY party as Prime Minister and then President.

Under Mugabe’s leadership the GDP of Zimbabwe has fallen by almost 50 per cent, according to the United Nations.

The country suffered badly during the recession and experienced hyperinflation and a widespread lack of food and other essentials.

Things have slightly recovered, but are still significantly worse than when the family took power.

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